Start Here (First Time)

This guide is written for a reader who opens the project for the first time. It uses plain words throughout.

In One Sentence

This project is a research framework that explains:

1. how an AI should reason (TE), and
2. how a formal theory (OCT) is tested with documents and datasets.

If You Have 5 Minutes

1. Read README.md (what the repository is).
2. Read SIMPLE_GLOSSARY.md (plain words for key terms).
3. Read SUPER_SIMPLE_FAQ.md (short answers to common confusion points).

If You Have 20 Minutes

1. Read README.md.
2. Read TE_BOOTLOADER_v7.1.1.md, then TE_CORE_v5.2.1.md (entry point and core rules for the framework; TE_PROTOCOLS_v1.1.md holds the always-active protocols).
3. Read OCT/README.md (what OCT is in this repository).
4. Read OCT/OCT_BOOK/OCT_FOUNDATIONAL_BOOK_CHAPTER_01_v1_0.md (main OCT book start).
5. For the full manuscript in a single file, open OCT/OCT_FULL/OCT_FOUNDATIONAL_BOOK_FULL_v1_0.md.

If You Want Evidence and Validation

1. Open OCT/validation/OCT_PUBLICATION_PROGRESS_TRACKER_v0_1.md.
2. Open datasets/cycle3_inputs/ and datasets/cycle4_outputs/.
3. Open scripts in datasets/cycle3_work/ and datasets/cycle4_work/.

If You Feel Lost

Use this recovery path:

1. Return to README.md.
2. Read SIMPLE_GLOSSARY.md.
3. Read INDEX.md and follow one section at a time.